Punch gear for high-duty tape perforators used in data-processing and telegraph systems



Oct. 4, 1966 R. HAAS 3,276,680

PUNCH GEAR FOR HIGH-DUTY TAPE PERFORATORS USED IN DATA-PROCESSING AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR R 0 LF H A S BYJ ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1966 R. HAAS PUNCH GEAR FOR HIGH-DUTY TAPE PERFORATORS USED IN DATAPROCESSING AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1964 Fig.3

INVENTOR ROLF HAAS 4 gk BY m ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,276,680 HIGH-DUTY TAPE PERFORA- PUNCH GEAR FOR TELE- poration of Delaware Filed Oct. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 404,085 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 26, 1963,

232 6 Claims. Cl. 234-119 The present invention relates to a punch gear for highduty tape perforators used in data-processing and telegraph systems, in which the individual punch pins (perforating needles) can be mechanically coupled to a continuously rotating eccentric drive by electromagnetic controls.

Punch gears of this general class are already known. For example, US. Patent No. 2,675,078 shows a highduty tape perforator in which the punch pins are connected in a form-locking manner to an associated eccentric disc .via joint levers. These levers are so designed that they, in their stretched position, constitute a rigid connection between the eccentric disc and the respective punch pins, In case a perforation should ever be suppressed, one of the joint levers is provided with an extension which, with the assistance of a magnetically controlled blocking lever,and upon initiation of the punch stroke, causes the lever joint to be bent towards the side. However, due to the form-locking connection, it is unavoidable that in the course of this operation, the respective punch pin is subjected to a longitudinal displacement. Thus, since all of the punch pins are in movement during every punch stroke, the entire gear system is subjected to wear which is partly unnecessary. A

In addition thereto, the direct control of the supporting pawls by the control magnets occasions the disadvantage that the pawls and, consequently, the armatures can only return to normal upon termination of the punching cycle. This requires that the remanent field of the control magnets be decreased to a pointwhereat the armatures will drop out reliably.

This drop out may be achieved by spring loading, but would entail an extension of the operating time delay. As operating speed increases, very high demands are placed on the employed types of control magnets and, in

addition thereto, may lead to a limitation of the clocking time.

In order to overcome these drawbacks, a punching gear system is provided according to the present invention,

wherein an eccentric acting in a form-locking manner lupon a control vane has a common center of rotation with the vanes associated with the punch pins. The vanes of the punch pins, via coupling elements, are capable of being coupled in a form-locking manner individually to the control vane. tally set up in the normal position of the gear system, but is only maintained if associated control magnets indicate an operative behavior whichis in opposition to that of the normal condition. Shortly before terminating the punch stroke, the armatures of the control magnets which are in the operating condition are compulsorily moved into a position corresponding to the normal condition. A

The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a punch gear system according to the invention, in the normal position;

FIG. 2 shows the gear system of- FIG. 1 in the non:

This coupling condition is fundamenperforating condition at the end of the punching stroke; and

FIG. 3 shows the gear system of FIG. 1 in the perforating condition at the end of the punching stroke.

According to FIG. 1, the gear system of the invention consists of a shaft 1, which continuously rotates during operating condition, whose movement is transferred to a couple 3 via an eccentric 2. Couple 3 is joined in a formlocking manner, via a shaft 4, to a control vane 5 in a slewable manner. Control vane 5 is designed as a twin vane, and is rotatably supported on a stationary shaft 6 on which, between the two arms of the vane 5, are mounted punch-pin vanes 14, also arranged in a freely slewable manner. These two types of vanes together form an acute angle. Punch-pin vanes 14 are individually acted upon by torsion springs (not shown), acting in a clockwise direction and which, in their normal position, provide a defined position for a limiting stop bolt 15. Punch pins 16, which are in a form-locking connection with associated vanes 14, are guided in a punch-block 17. Between punch-block 17 and a cutting plate 19, the tape to be perforated is fed with the aid of a stepping device (not shown) driving for example, a beaded sprocket wheel 20, in the rhythm of the punching movement.

A number of coupling elements 8 are arranged in a rotatable manner on a shaft 7 which is supported in the arms of control vane 5, and is in alignment with punchpin vanes 14. These coupling elements 8 are acted upon by torsion springs (not shown) acting in a counterclockwise direction, so that they assumetheir normal position as determined by the opposite position of the limiting stop-arms 8c against shaft 4, as shown in FIG. 1. In this position, projections 14a of punch-pin vanes 14 project in a contactless manner into claw-like recesses of coupling arms 8b which, in the direction of the punching stroke, are wider than projections 14a. This is necessary for disengaging coupling elements 8 as is described in more detail in connection with FIG. 2. The surfaces of the coupling pawl and of puhchjlever projections 14a, which are in engagement or placed on top of each other during a punching process, are all directed radially to the center line of shaft 6.

Moreover, coupling elements 8 are provided with engaging projections 8a which, in the normalcondition, are

each in engagement with one control pawl 10 which, in

turn, are slewably supported on a stationarily arranged shaft 9. Under the effect of a Weak spring action (not shown) which is effective in the counterclockwise direction, control pawls 10, via their short extensions 10a, are in a force-locking connection with the armatures 12 of the associated control magnets 11.

This punching gear is so designed with respect to its control system, that a perforation is released by the pulsecontrolled attraction of the magnet armatures. As the clocking speed increases above the release time delay, caused by the remanent field, an unfavorable effect will occur and may become limiting. To avoid these disadvantages, care is taken in the inventive type of gear system, that armatures 12 are returned to normal at a definite time position, from which there may be effected the resetting operation. In this way, the demands which are placed on the magnets may be kept within designed units.

As is seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, control vane 5 is provided with a resetting device 5a for effecting theresetting to normal of armatures 1 2 which are in the set condition. To this end, armatures 12 are provided with projections 13 whose coupling noses 13a project into the swivel range of resetting device 5a, with the latter being so arranged that they will only be acted upon by resetting device 5a if the respective armature 12, at the time position of the resetting, that is shortly prior to the termination of the punching stroke, is still positioned in the attracting condition.

FIG. 2 shows the punching gear system of FIG. 1 in the non-perforating condition at the end of the punching stroke.

As mentioned hereinbefore, this setting will become effective if, for example, one of the magnets 11 is not energized at the beginning of the punching stroke, so that its armature 12 will assume the position as shown. On account of this, the engagement between the stationarily arranged control pawl 10 and coupling element 8 will remain. However, since coupling element 8 is supported on shaft 7, which is firmly connected to control vane 5, it will be moved as soon as vane 5 starts to perform its eccentric-controlled punching movement about the center of rotation 6. Due to this movement, coupling element 8 is swivelled in the clockwise direction, and the pawl of coupling arm 8b will become disengaged from extension 14a of punch-pin vane 14. Since the side-ways swivel movement of coupling arm 8b is joined to a vertical movement of coupling element 8, the opening of the pawl must be wider towards the one side than projection 14a of vane 14, in order to ensure a contactless release of vane 14 by coupling element 8. It is due to this that vane 14 and its associated punch-pin remain in their normal position, resting against bolt 15.

Unlike the showing of FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows the punching gear system of FIG. 1 in the perforating condition at the end of the punching stroke.

In this case, magnet 11, on account of'an impulse control, has attracted its armature 12 prior to the beginning of the punching cycle. Because of this, control pawl 10, assisting the engaging nose or arm 8a of coupling element 8, has been swivelled so that coupling element 8, at the beginning of the new punching cycle, is not prevented from maintaining its normal position. Because of this, and in the course of the punching stroke, the upper contacting surfaces of the coupling pawl and of vane projection 14a, which are radially directed to the center point of shaft 6, will establish a form-locking engagement so that, in the course of a further downward movement of control vane 5, vane 14 and, consequently, punch-pin 16, are taken along, with the latter piercing tape 18 prior to the termination of the punching stroke.

Shortly after the beginning of the punching cycle, that is, upon swivelling coupling member 8 out of the range in which a latching with control pawl 10 would be possible, armature 12 is again permitted to re-assume its normal position. However, since in the case of high clocking speeds, the time of one punching cycle may lie Within the order of magnitude of the release time of the control magnet, it is of advantage to take steps for ensuring that the attracted armatures can be reset to normal at a predetermined time position.

From this reset position, it is then possible to effect the respective new settings. According to the invention, this is elfected in a purely mechanical way, in that control vane 5 is provided with a resetting device 5a. As described hereinbefore, armatures 12 are provided with coupling noses 13a via which a compulsory resetting of armatures 12 which, at this particular time position, are still in the attracted position, is effected in such a way that resetting device 5a lifts the armatures 12 to such an extent that the spring forces acting upon armature 12 will predominate over the remanent field of the magnet, so that armature 12 will drop back to normal. Out of this position, there may now be effected a new setting of the magnets 11, which may already be carried out prior to the return of the control vane to normal.

With the beginning of the rearward stroke, the formlocking connection between punch-pin vane 14 and the coupling claw is changed to the lower pair of the coupling surfaces directed to the central point of shaft 6, so that there is effected a compulsory resetting of punch pin 16 to normal. This is effected by the spring mount of vane 14 acting in a clockwise direction, until meeting against the counter support at limiting stop-bolts 15, so that the contactless engagement described in FIG. 1, between punch-pin vane 14 and the coupling element, is reestablished.

In contrast to conventional types of constructions, the present one has the advantage that the wear on the engaging parts which are loaded during the punching process, such as coupling elements 8 and punch-pin vanes 14, is practically zero. By the support of the two types of vanes 5 and 14 on the same shaft 6, the parts which are in engagement with each another perform no relative movement with respect to one another.

While I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of my invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A punch-gear system for high-duty tape perforators used in the data processing and telegraph art, comprising a plurality of punch pins, a continuously rotating eccentric drive, a control vane, punch-pin vanes, coupling elements, and control magnets with associated armatures, said eccentric drive being coupled in a form-locking manner with said control vane, said control vane having a common center of rotation with said punch-pin vanes, said punchpin vanes being coupled in a form-locking manner to said control vane via said coupling elements, this coupling condition being established in the normal condition of the gear system and only being maintained if said control magnets are energized in opposition to said normal condition wherein said armatures of said control magnets which are in the operating condition are moved into a condition corresponding to the normal position before termination of the punching stroke.

2. A punch-gear system according to claim 1, wherein said control vane forms an acute angle with said punchpin vanes, said coupling elements being slewably arranged on said control vane.

3. A punch-gear system according to claim 2, and further including stationary contnol pawls, one being assigned to each coupling element, said control pawls being capable of being operated by said armatures of said control magnets, and said pawls in the de-energized condition of said armatures and in their normal condition, assisting the coupling elements so that the latter in the course of the cyclical swivel movement of said control vane are swivelled out of their coupling position.

4. A punch-gear system according to claim 3, wherein said coupling elements are spring mounted so as to maintain the normal condition, in which the associated punchpin vanes project in a form-locking manner into clawshaped recesses provided in said coupling elements, and wherein the oppositely arranged coupling surfaces of said coupling elements and of said punch-pin vanes are directed towards the center of rotation of said vanes.

5. A punch-gear system according to claim 4, wherein said claw-shaped recesses in the direction of the punching stroke are wider than the corresponding projections of said punch-pin vanes for effecting a contactless swivelling of the coupling elements.

6. A punch-gear system according to claim 1, wherein said control vane is provided with a re-setting device, said armatures of said control magnets being provided with coupling portions which are so arranged as to be engaged by said re-setting device only in the case of an attracted armature, prior to the termination of the punching stroke.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,014,095 12/1961 Kleinschmidt et a1. 234- X ,1 3,698 5/1964 Hergert 234-119 X 3, 7,999 6/ 1965 Seymour 2341 19 3,189,270 6/1965 Seymour 6t al 2341l9 X WILL AM S LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PUNCH-GEAR SYSTEM FOR HIGH-DUTY TAPE PERFORATORS USED IN THE DATA PROCESSING AND TELEGRAPH ART, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PUNCH PINS, A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING ECCENTRIC DRIVE, A CONTROL VALVE, PUNCH-PIN VANES, COUPLING ELEMENTS, AND CONTROL MAGNETS WITH ASSOCIATED ARMATURES, SAID ECCENTRIC DRIVE BEING COUPLED IN A FORM-LOCKING MANNER WITH SAID CONTROL VANE, SAID CONTROL VANE HAVING A COMMON CENTER OF ROTATION WITH SAID PUNCH-PIN VANES, SAID PUNCHPIN VANES BEING COUPLED IN A FORM-LOCKING MANNER TO SAID CONTROL VANE VIA SAID COUPLING ELEMENTS, THIS COUPLING CONDITION VANE VIA SAID COUPLING ELEMENTS, THIS COUPLING GEAR SYSTEM AND ONLY BEING MAINTAINED IF SAID CONTROL MAGNETS ARE ENERGIZED IN OPPOSITION TO SAID NORMAL CONDITION WHEREIN SAID ARMATURES OF SAID CONTROL MAGNETS WHICH ARE IN THE OPERATING CONDITION ARE MOVED INTO A CONDITION CORRESPONDING TO THE NORMAL POSITION BEFORE TERMINATION OF THE PUNCHING STORKE. 